News
Hon Oyetunde FHA MD/CE Unveils the Authority’s Drone
The Managing Director and Chief Executive, Federal Housing Authority Hon Oyetunde Ojo, Thursday 26th September 2024 unveiled the Authority’s Drone during a One day Workshop on “Location Matters”.
In his remarks during the event, Hon Ojo noted that the acquisition of the DGI Matrix 350 RTK Drone was a further step of his management in repositioning the operations of FHA.
The Chief Executive recalled how his Executive Management Team had found It unacceptable for FHA to operate analogue without the necessary basic tools expected of an agency of its status, since 50 years of its establishment.
He attributed the lack of accurate data in the Authority to lack of such needed tools of work. He said it is unacceptable for the agency to operate without the precise knowledge of all its land boundaries and accurate number of ⁹ its houses, a situation that encourages encroachment on the Authority’s land and colossal loss of revenue.
Hon Ojo gave the assurance that with the acquisition of this high profile Drone, the Authority can be precise in all its operations ranging from planning, construction to marketing.
According the FHA Chief Executive, “with the operation of the Drone, FHA stands in a better position to know the exact number of houses in all our estates and ww will now be able to project on the revenue accruable to us”.
Continuing, he said,…”apart from making our operations seamless and accurate, the use of this Drone will engender standard best practices in our work”
Hon Ojo noted that with the digitalisation of the Authority’s operation and the acquisition of the Drone, Federal Housing Authority is strongly moving on the journey of self rediscovery.
The Managing Director who stated that more hands would be trained on handling the equipment, was full of praises for staff whose collective efforts he said helped i. turning the agency around.
While pledging continued good leadership from the Executive Management Team, he admonished staff to remain focused and work harder for the growth of the Authority.
The CEO was emphatic on the need for the Management staff to mentor the younger staff by engaging them. “It is only through this that FHA would survive the looming brain drain and succesion crisis, through retirements”, he added.
Earlier on, Surv. Winston Ayeni, a former Registar of the Surveyor Regulation Council of Nigeria (SURCON), during a lecture titled Location Matters, had applauded Management for acquring the Drone. Surv. Ayeni noted that FHA is the 3rd government agency to acquire such a calibre of Drone in the country.
Speaking on Optimising Process and Procedures for Performance Enhancement, Ayeni was unequivocal on the fact that Location, matters in every human endeavor including the built industry.
He noted that the introduction of the Drone in FHA’S operations would affect all its sphere of operations, ranging from planning, construction/Engineering, Marketing and Urban renewal.
DGI Matrix 350 RTK Drone has the capacity to cover a distance of 20 kilometers and can go beyond a height of 120 meters. It is also equipped with a high resolution camera for both picture and video capabilities, can fly for about 55 minutes during which it can cover about 120 hectares of land.
Equipped with Lidar sensor that can make it see through vegetation, the Drone has the ability to come back to base by itself when the battery gets very low and is fitted with Optical Avoidance mechanism that makes it not to collide with other objects.
The Kano State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the Kano State Censorship Board Amendment Bill 2025, granting the board broader regulatory powers over entertainment and media content in the state.
The passage followed the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House and the third reading by the Clerk, Bashir Diso, during Monday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Ismail Falgore.
Briefing journalists after the plenary, the lawmaker representing Dala Constituency, Lawan Husseini, explained that the amendment empowers the board to oversee the registration of event centres and enforce strict compliance with Islamic principles in entertainment-related activities.
He further disclosed that the board’s name had been officially changed from State Censorship Board to Kano State Censorship Board to reflect its jurisdictional authority.
All films, series, and serials must now be censored and certified by the board before they can be aired,” Husseini stated.
Additionally, the amended law prohibits the indiscriminate shooting of films within the state without obtaining prior approval from the board.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Water Users Association Bill 2025 has passed the second reading in the Assembly.
Beneficiaries of the New Nigerian Newspapers, associated with the Northern States Governors Forum, have expressed their deep frustration over the prolonged issue of unpaid benefits totalling N2.1 billion. As of January 2025, the death toll of members awaiting these payments has tragically reached 106.
A statement issued by Alhaji Sadiq Tela on behalf of the Elders Forum, and Friday Sule for the Joint Union of the New Nigerian Newspapers, highlights that “following the recent out-of-court settlement between the Northern Governors and Albert Iweka and Co, which was ratified on 27th November 2024 by the Federal High Court, expectations have soared due to the extreme poverty exacerbated by the delay in these benefits.”
It is worth noting that Barrister Iweka and Idi Sule, both former employees of the New Nigerian Newspapers, had previously taken the Northern Governors to court over the payment of check-off dues. They successfully secured a garnishee order that froze the account of New Capital Properties Limited (NCPL), where the proceeds from the sale of NNN assets were held.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of the New Nigerian Beneficiaries, the case was eventually dismissed, and all previous garnishee orders were vacated, with all parties duly settled except for the New Nigerian Beneficiaries,” the statement emphasised.
The statement further lamented, “More than 100 days have passed since the resolution of this decade-long court battle, yet all New Nigerian Beneficiaries who served the 19 Northern Governors continue to suffer in silence, overwhelmed by pain and despair.”
However, the workers have praised the current Secretary to the State Government of Kaduna for providing some relief through strategic discussions with the Northern Nigeria Development Company and the Northern Governors’ Secretariats. “These efforts are comforting, but in light of the harsh economic realities, the over 800 beneficiaries who have nearly 10,000 dependants are left in tears,” they added.
The statement reiterated, “The Northern Governors, led by Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, possess the authority to shape the futures of nearly 1,000 New Nigerian Beneficiaries.”
“We take this opportunity to implore our Northern Governors’ Forum to extend their support, as the death toll of NNN beneficiaries awaiting payment has sadly risen to 106 as of January 2025.”
“In the spirit of Ramadan, we beseech our Northern Governors to show compassion towards our families, as many of us are struggling to break our fast.
Both Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have crashed the cost of the essential commodity in recent weeks.
Rewane attributed the reduction in fuel price to a fall in global crude oil price.
Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, has predicted that the cost of premium motor spirit also known as petrol will continue to decline until June 2025.
Both Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria National Petroluem Company Limited (NNPCL) have crashed the cost of the essential commodity in recent weeks, easing the pressure on millions of Nigerians who depend on fuel for their energy needs.
But Rewane says the recent reduction in the pump price of the product is expected to continue until mid-year.
“So, generally between now and June, we will see prices begin to decline. But after June as things stabilize, depending on what happens in the global oil and currency market, we might begin to see some stabilisation,” Rewane said on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Business Morning.
According to him, the price war between Dangote Refinery and NNPCL will benefit the consumer more.
“In a price war, nobody wins, the consumers win in the short run then eventually the market goes back to where it should be. But, at the end of the day, between now and June, the price leadership will be firmly established,” Rewane said.
He attributed Dangote Refinery’s reduction in the pump price of petrol to production cost efficiency.